“Who’s the shortest person in the NBA?” I do not see how that information will serve you, but I still went ahead and compiled a list of some of the shortest NBA players who tore up the court, even though they were short.
So, hold on to your deaths as I am taking you on a quest to look for the shortest NBA player you need to know.
Is Height Important In The NBA?
Before we even start our quest to find the shortest NBA player, we need to address a myth first.
Now, it is one of the oldest myths in the NBA that you need to be above six feet in order to become one of the players. This is farthest from the truth. There is no official rule that claims that one has to be above the 6-foot mark in order to become a player in the league.
In fact, there are several players who do not break the height barrier but still are some of the best players that the game has seen.
A study conducted by the league showed that the average height of basketball players during the 1985 to 2006 bracket was somewhere around 1.80 meters or 5 feet 9 inches.
Hence, the myth that you need to be of a certain structure to become a basketball player is certainly a myth that one needs to stop believing.
Still, there have been players who exceeded the norm, but in general, there is no rule that mandates a certain height for being a basketball player.
Now that this is out of the way, we can certainly move on to celebrate some of the short kings of basketball.
Short Kings
While short men are certainly not the people who get appreciated enough. I mean, social media has made us believe that if you want to be desirable, you need to be of a certain height.
But today, we are here to tell you that height never really matters, and so we will look at some of the shortest players in NBA history who left a huge mark. Just so you know, being short is perfectly fine, and you should cherish being a short king.
But before we proceed, I just want to clarify that all the players listed here fall under the six-foot mark, so that is the primary marker that I am following in our quest to answer the burning question: who is the shortest NBA player? Let us dive right in.
Chris Paul
Listed as 6 feet tall with shoes, Chris Paul’s actual height falls somewhere around the 5’10” to 5’11” mark. History has been witnessed, but Chris is definitely one of the best point guards to have ever existed.
Even though he is the youngest guy on the list and one of the shortest players in the NBA right now, he still has left a huge impact with his game on the basketball world. What Paul lacks in size, he makes up in heart and tactical presence.
Apart from his on-court presence, Paul has also established himself as one of the best defenders of his time.
Allen Iverson
Like Chris Paul, Iverson is also the epitome of a ‘small body, huge heart.’ Towering close to Chris Paul, Iverson is that one guy who is known to be small and fast.
Till now, Iverson has scored around 8,168 free-throw attempts in different NBA games. Apart from this, Iverson is also an individual who has been at least four-time NBA scoring champ, 11-time All-star, and even 2001 MVP.
Therefore, Iverson is packed with accolades and never lets his height come in between him and his game.
Avery ‘Little General’ Johnson
You might have seen him coach the New Jersey Nets and win accolades for being the Coach Of The Year back in 2006. But Avery was also an amazing NBA player who can be classified in the list of short NBA players.
Avery ‘Little General’ Johnson measured around 5 feet 10 inches. His stint in the NBA lasted from 1988 to 2004. During this, Johnson was seen hopping from one team to another.
But the time he spent with Spurs was the most memorable of his career, while San Antonio was the last team to play for. Following this, he went on to become a successful coach for teams like New Jersey and Dallas Mavericks.
Damon ‘Might Mouse’ Stoudamire
Standing at 5 feet 10 inches, Damon was drafted seventh overall by the Toronto Raptors back in 1995. Damon was a breakthrough star who broke into the scene with a meteoric rise.
During his debut year, Damon won the Rookie Of The Year Title. His average numbers include 19 points per game and around 9.3 APG.
Damon got his nickname not because of this stature. But because of the Might Mouse tattoo that he had on his arms. In fact, at one point in time, he was the shortest NBA player. Therefore, it is no wonder he will earn his place on the list.
Tyrone Curtis ‘Muggsy’ Bogues
This list will be absolutely incomplete if we do not include the shortest NBA player of all time. Measuring at around 5’3”, he is the shortest NBA player ever to have graced the NBA court.
Muggsy started his career with the Washington Bullets. Muggsy was one of the players who used his small structure to his advantage and did so beautifully.
Also, muggsy was one of the best passers in the league during his time. Muggsy is the greatest example and a slap on the face of critics who undersell short kings.
His points per game might not have been something to write home about. But he definitely dominated the league with an amazing 7.6 APG.
Concluding Thought
And with that, we have reached the end of our list exploring and celebrating the short Kings of the NBA.
In our quest for the shortest NBA player, we have found several short players who flouted societal norms. And in doing so, they have made the world a little bit better for vertically challenged people.
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